Thread: Lazy driver habits

My D4 does the same thing and Park is selected automatically when the ignition is turned off. But I started this thread in an effort to see how many others don't bother using the handbrake/park brake/EPB or whatever else they want to call it.
Seems to me from my experience that many drivers are just too lazy to bother. Like the woman whose car rolled back into me on a slight slope because she had no idea of how to use the hand brake/foot brake and clutch to control her vehicle when pulling away at lights after being stopped.
She sure as hell weren't no lady from the foul abuse I got when I questioned her driving ability.
AlanH.

I am reminded of a whole generation who drove cars with parking brakes operated by Bowden cables that invariably seized after a year or two.

My b-i-l was a mechanic, who absolutely forbade his wife from using the parking brake - he had enough trouble getting it working for the annual roadworthy inspection, and knew that if left off it would at least seize in the off position, not half on and wear out the back linings.

This design of brake, most prevalent on US designs such as Holden and Ford gradually became reasonably reliable by about 1970, but there were a lot of them still being driven into the 1990s, and traditions about handbrakes not working, passed on by parents teaching their kids, last a long time.

I'm sure you're right about bad habits being passed from parent to kids. I've watched local kids being taught how to drive and now they too don't bother signalling at all, just like Mum and Dad. Must admit I've never owned anything with a foot operated park brake but did have a Torana or something like that as a company car years ago which had one.
I can't blame people for not using them as it was crap.
AlanH.

We have 4 XTrails we use as hire cars that have foot operated park brakes.
Stupid idea! Most people that hire the car just don't use them & when I'm driving I keep bashing my left leg on the bloody thing.
As an aside, when the first 2 XTrails arrived in Doomadgee they were in the back of a truck fridge van. Very dark in there, I had to crawl down the side of the cars to back them out. Took me 10 minutes to find & disengage the park brake on the first car. The truck driver though I had got stuck somewhere in there, not a lot of room.
Jonesfam

I first came accross a foot-operated parking brake in a Fairlane that was owned by the local servo owner in early-mid 60's. Never got to use it as I didn't have a licence yet.

Local Brigade had a IH D1310 4x4 with such a device, in mid seventies. Got my truck licence on that. The pedal was against the kick panel, the release handle was above that - therefore just under the dash and adjacent to the door hinge area. As well as being instant "off" - no chance to feather it, it was also out of reach for anyone other than the driver. No good in emergencies. It operated on the primary drive shaft.

A lot of the guys had difficulty in timing the release for a hill start, so tended to ignore it at any time. Other times they were late to release it, stalling the motor, until they got used to it.

I think later models had it against the central tunnel.

I see so many drivers driving at night without switching their lights on it is not funny. They seem to think that because they can see (due to street lights) it is alright. They do not realise that their car goes into the shadows and disappears.

I also observe many drivers who do not position their car properly for a righ-hand turn. Middle of traffic lane, or at an angle while all over the place, or with the front wheels turned. A lot also do not understand the use of a central median turning lane.